polyNOMOREous - A Journey Into and Out of Polyamory

Welcome to Poly No More where I plan to explore the answers to questions related to the rising practice of polyamorous (including polyfidelitous, polyandric, and polygamous) beliefs among those who claim to be Christian believers in Jesus Christ.

I have been reading the eye-opening book Heaven by Randy Alcorn (2004). I highly recommend this book to those inclined to study eschatological topics related to the Christian faith and the Biblical teachings about the afterlife. Recently I read the following:

"Though Christoplatonism frowns upon the pleasures of the physical world, mistaking asceticism for spirituality, Scripture says we are to put our hope not in material things but 'in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment' (1 Timothy 6:17). If He provides everything for our enjoyment, we shouldn't feel guilty for enjoying it, should we?" (Alcorn, p.176).

This caused me to think about people who claim that the non-medicinal use of certain substances must be "fine with God since the Bible says he gave us everything to enjoy". But is there not an unspoken expectation that Timothy would filter the words of Paul through a redeemed worldview? I have heard of so-called "liberated Christians" who have embraced certain sexual "freedoms" and likewise take this same verse and uphold what we might call the letter of the law rather than the spirit therein in order to condone questionable behaviour. Alcorn (2004) goes on to say:

"Paul says it is demons and liars who portray the physical realm as unspiritual, forbid people from the joys of marriages, including sex, and 'order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer' (1 Timothy 4:3-5)" (p.177).

This verse and the explanation behind it has been taken by those who promote "Christian polygamy" and used to lambast the rest of the Christian church who forbid, they claim unscripturally, the joys of polygamous marriage between those "who know the truth".* The answer to the "liberated" stance from 1 Timothy 6 is provided by 1 Timothy 4. In order to know whether the advocates for unusual moral practices are truthful or heretical one must ascertain whether these things fall into the category provided in verse 4 as those things "which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe".

Is polygamy something that God created for New Covenant believers? I used to think so. There are a handful of activist sites out there that adamantly believe and promote that this is so, and frankly there are too few responses by mainstream Christian sources able to provide a strong answer but who are instead hedging their bets and talking around the issue instead of taking a firm stance one way or the other.

Now I see things in the Word that I was not able to see before. I was not able to find definitive answers online when I needed them most so now that I have spent considerable time prayerfully studying and meditating to find God's clear answer I feel impressed upon to add my voice to the internet resources available in the hopes of helping those who may be wrestling with this question and keeping them from making the mistakes I've made.

Citations

Alcorn, R. (2004). Heaven (1st ed., pp. 176-177). U.S.A.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Crosswalk.com,. (2012). 4144-bigamy.220w.tn.jpg. Retrieved from http://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/god-s-plans-for-marriage-dealing-with-old-testament-polygamy.html

Profile Picture via One Female Canuck,. (2016). no poly.jpg. Retrieved from http://www.onefemalecanuck.com/2016/05/maha-monday-no-polygamy-folks

* Note: It may be that Mormon polygamists also use the Bible to support their practices but this blog will not be addressing followers among that religion and will stick to mainstream Christian disciples alone.